Hurt
by Dejichan4444
Summary: Ginji had ran away for an hour or so. No one knew exactly why, but when Ginji returned a little while later, all of them had just one question on their minds: Why? UPDATED CHAPTER ONE! PLEASE READ! BanxGinji
1. Chapter 1

Why hello again! After getting an awesome beta, dangerpawn, the chapter changed quite a bit. So...here's the update version! THANKS DANGERPAWN! -worships-

Disclaimer: Don't own.

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"_Bandages on my legs and my arms from you…"_

Ginji let out a long, exasperated sigh as he leaned back against a cold brick wall in a dingy alleyway. He was in the depths of Shinjuku, wandering around like he had no one to go home to. He was hungry, tired, cold and dizzy. Those things didn't go well together. It was like making a Ban and Shido sandwich: not a pretty sight.

Rats and alley cats scurried about around him, trying to find food in order to survive the streets. Cars and trash covered the road before him, and the sidewalk was coated with flurries that had already fallen from the sky, typical Mugenjou.

It wasn't the safest place to sit. But, it was the safest place to hide. He didn't think that anyone would come looking for him there. He needed to be alone to puzzle something out in his head. He wasn't planning on coming out a way to solve his problem. How in the world did he get himself into such a mess?

This was, indeed, a huge problem. If only he had been more careful with what he said, what he encouraged…this would've never happened and things would be normal again.

He shivered almost uncontrollably as a light, bitter breeze blew past. The weather wasn't exactly good for swimming or hanging around outside. He should've been in the Honky Tonk or Mrs. Ladybug. But, strangely, both places had lost their warmth.

"Damn," Ginji murmured as he ran his rough fingers through his blond hair. His eyes were cloudy as he distanced himself from the world around him. He was completely absorbed in thought. That was a weakness, he knew, because anyone could jump him at the moment.

"Who would've guessed he'd actually go through with it…," Ginji wondered aloud. "Why the hell did I even try to…?" He groaned. This was giving him a head ache. Thinking back, he hadn't had a major head ache since he first left Mugenjou. Now, reliving the torture, he sympathized with Ban for whenever the man had a head ache and he just went on laughing and singing.

"He didn't know why, maybe?" that could be one excuse for his bewilderment over the recent events. It was wrong, Ginji knew, but that didn't change anything.

"Young man," he jumped in the instinctual, guilty way that young men jump, even young men who never had a mother, when they hear an older woman begin to scold them, "What are you doing outside, dressed like that at a time like this?"

It was, in fact, a woman, a woman in her early thirties. Despite her harsh tone he looked warm in more than one way. She was dressed for the weather. She was pretty, too. But, for once he didn't really care that he was looking at a pretty woman. He didn't feel like looking at anything warm or pretty at the moment. _O__f course he was relieved because it was not an intruder or murderer. And if she was, she had failed to take her advantage over him a few seconds ago. Now, it'd be like any other fight, so Ginji felt calm._

"Especially wearing such light clothing," the lady went on, grimacing.

"S-sorry…," Ginji whispered. He smiled nervously, as was his habit when he was caught in the act of worrying or eating or walking or talking or anything else for that matter. He babbled, "I'll go inside soon, I promise. I'm just thinking and it's so loud inside that I can't concentrate."

He had this awful habit of apologizing for things - constantly, even when it wasn't his fault. Ginji wasn't sure why he did that all the time; maybe he just wanted the problem to go away so he put the blame on himself? This time, though, everything was his doing. He cocked his head and smiled warmly at the kind woman.

The woman nodded understandingly, although she still had a hint of mock disapproval in her voice, "A thinker, huh? You sound like my son."

"Yeah, a thinker," he murmured sarcastically. She didn't catch it. "Don't worry about me, miss. I wouldn't want to cause anyone any trouble."

He winked at her. He wasn't looking to snag any MILFs. Maybe if he flirted with her a little bit she would go away. It had certainly, he thought in a pathetic circle, worked when he tried it with Ban. She reacted with a faint blush.

He grinned at her harder. She gave in with a motherly sigh, "Alright, blondie. You think. But, you take my scarf too and keep warm."

Ginji wondered why she, and the rest of the world as it seemed, was being so kind to him, when he had made such a fatal mistake earlier in the morning. _I really screwed up_, he thought. Before he got a chance to recollect himself, the woman was gone, leaving her scarf for him.

Ginji played with the scarf in his hands. It was nice and warm and looked expensive. He had one back at the Lady Bug, so there was no need for him to keep it. Ginji wearily put the scarf in someone's mail box, hoping they could find use for it. After doing that, Ginji returned to his former position which consisted of leaning against the wall of an apartment building.

He wasn't cold yet. But, it was starting to get dark. Ginji knew that violent Shinjuku only got bloodier after sunset. Of course Ginji could fend for himself. But, he would prefer, especially in the mood he was in, not to get his hands dirty. He was annoyed and embarrassed and his fingers were starting to get numb and the fact that he, as Ban put it, couldn't even find his way out of a closet wasn't going to make that any better. So, he chose a direction and started walking. It didn't help that he ran smack into somebody.

"Oi! Watch where you're going, jackass!"

"I'm sorry," Ginji mumbled with his eyes cast downward, trying his best to avoid a fight. God knew that whoever his opponent was would probably get the short end of the stick. The other man didn't answer. The frustrated blonde kept walking.

"Hey, wait," the man called, roughly. His voice was somehow familiar. That wasn't good. Ginji had run into scores of murders and punks and perverts in this part of town in his day. The voice very well could have belonged to any number of them. He kept walking like he didn't hear. The man reached out and grabbed his shoulder, "Ginji, I said _wait_."

Ginji looked up. It was Shido. No wonder the voice had sounded familiar. He was wearing heavier clothing, appropriate for outside, unlike Ginji. On his shoulder was a type of bird which Ginji had never seen before. Not that he would've bothered to remember all the birds he had seen with Shido before anyway. The bird cocked his predatory head at Shido as waiting for a dropped like of conversation to be picked up again. But, Shido just silently ordered the bird to leave and it did as it was commanded without a single complaint.

Ginji grinned sheepishly and waved casually. But, it was too late. Shido noticed had already noticed his odd behavior. He pointed at Ginji. Although he was nicer now than he had ever been he had never been very respectful of Ginji, even when he was the Lightening Lord, "What the hell are you doing here in that? What, did Ban loose all of your money at the pachinko parlor again?"

"No, that's not it at all!" Ginji stammered, defending his best friend. Again he was chuckling nervously and scratching the back of his head. His dizziness was gone at this point, thankfully, although the head ache was still present. Since it was slowly dying down, Ginji carried on and ignored it. "He bought me a coat a while ago; I just forgot to bring it with me. And I'm…thinking… about stuff. OK?"

"What? Yeah, right. You're lost. Aren't you?" Shido questioned softly, Ginji just grinned uncomfortably. Shido sighed, "Let me take you to the Honky Tonk with me."

Ginji knew what that meant, but he wasn't aggravated that another job was being stolen from them. In fact, he was glad. Ginji was definitely not in the mood to retrieve something, no matter how much yen he'd get for doing it. Ban wouldn't like that way of thinking, Ginji was sure.

"So," Shido continued somewhat uncomfortably. In the past he wasn't very good at comforting people. But, he was getting better and better at it with all the time he was spending with his new girlfriend. She, Ginji mused, was turning Shido into a social animal rather than a solitary beast. Also, he noticed, Shido definitely had the protective streak of a tough, older brother in him, "What were you thinking about anyway?"

"Well…," Ginji began as he blushed and admired his sneakers. They made little crunching noises and left a straight line tracks in the freshly fallen snow. The usually happy boy continued, "Uh…lots of things."

"Such as..?" Shido pressed, unfazed by the vague answer. The Beast Master was determined to get his friend, his former leader, to tell him what was going on. Thanks to Kazuki's flapping ears most of the time he knew all of the gossip. But, today was offbeat. From what the birds had told him before, Ginji had been out here for quite some time, and he didn't know why.

"Um…," Ginji sputtered. He paused for a moment, leaving an empty silence in place. The silence lingered on, threatening to engulf both Shido and Ginji. Shido allowed Ginji to collect his thoughts, "Well, you know when you really like somebody...?"

"Yeah, I guess," Shido blushed. It was a touchy subject. "You mean kinna," he stammered, "kinna… like the way I feel about Madoka?"

Those words only made Ginji frown. Shido was confused. Love was a perfectly natural thing. It was nothing to be ashamed of or angry about. Ginji continued genuinely even though it sounded as if it was hard for him to force the words out, "...and somebody else comes along and takes the somebody that you like?"

"Yeah, it happens all the time," Shido hastily agreed. But, Ginji's frown didn't fade. Shido let out a sigh of relief. The conversation was getting pretty heavy, "I can see the Honky Tonk from here."

Ginji didn't look up, "OK. So, I know… it happens all of the time… but… what if –" he paused as he tried to string his thought together logically, "I mean is it okay for the somebody that took the somebody you like to take the somebody you like even if they know you like the somebody?"

"Uh…" Shido's eyes narrowed as he puzzled it out in his head. His boots squeaked to a stop in the snow, "Shit. Is Ban dating some chick you like? Dude, that's low. I totally don't understand why you hang around with him."

"No," Ginji shook his head and continued walking towards the warmth of the café, "I mean, sort of... him and Himiko are going out."

"No offense. But, don't cha' she's sorta butch?" Shido grinned roughly and tried look at the bright side for Ginji because, for once, he wasn't looking at the bright side himself. "I mean I thought she was a lesbian. I think you could do much better. I remember back in the day you could get any chick you wanted. All you had to do was look at them."

"Yeah, I guess," he smiled even though he still looked troubled.

"It won't last anyway," Shido tried.

Ginji nodded slowly and asked, "Ya think so?" like he didn't really care to hear the answer.

Shido tried something else as they reached the door to the café, "Hey. You want me to kick his ass for you? I know you can't do it... because you're in business together. But, I could pick a fight with him and go completely beast mode on him. He'd never know."

"No, that's okay," Ginji shook his head sadly, "I'll deal with it myself. But, thanks Shido."

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A/N: Yeah...so there's the way-better version of the chapter! Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! I bring you the next chapter of "Hurt":3 Sorry it took so long. I was being lazy and decided to keep avoiding having to write this and then some problems came up. (Questing on Gaia kinda makes you obsess a little! XD) Anyways, this chapter was beta-ed by "Misery Loves Fanfics", aka, saiikivonmaou. -huggles- dangerpawn is busy with college preparation so she couldn't beta this chapter. So, if the style seems different, it's because I used a different beta.

Anyway, read on, my friends! Oh, BTW, re-read the first chapter if you haven't already. When I posted it, the chapter wasn't beta-ed. There were many changes that occured after the chapter was beta-ed, so it'll be neccessary for you to re-read it. Sorry for the hassle!

Disclaimer: I don't own Get backers, blah, blah, blah...

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Chapter 2

The bells of the café rang as Ginji and Shido entered the Honky Tonk together. It was much warmer inside than it was outside. They could tell the difference the moment they stepped into the room. Natsumi and Paul were unloading some things that they had recently ordered for the Honky Tonk. Ban was sitting in a booth with none other than Himiko. The two were chatting. Ginji only grimaced as he laid eyes on them. They were so…happy…Despite his kind personality, he wished he could take that happiness away and keep it for himself. And Ban hadn't even noticed him! This was infuriating.

"Ah!" Natsumi chirped. She waved at Ginji and Shido, realizing they were there. At least she saw him. The waitress practically pranced over to them. "Hello Gin-chan, Shido-san. Welcome back! Can I get you guys something?" She beamed at them. Ginji looked up hopefully. Natsumi could always brighten up his day with her welcoming and generous nature. But today, not even that seemed to cheer him up. It only made his frown deepen.

"That Shido can get something 'cause I know he has cash," Paul interrupted as he placed a plate on the counter, "but Ginji can't. He and Ban have failed to pay their humongous tab. No pay, no food." Natsumi pursed her lips as Paul continued to unload the shipments. This only managed to make Ginji more depressed than he already was and that seemed impossible.

"But Master!" Natsumi protested gently, eyeing Ginji. "Can I at least get him some coffee? It's cold outside and I'm sure he could use it from being out there for so long. Please?" She worked her charm against Paul without meaning to, and the man finally gave in with a sigh.

"Fine, but only one cup of coffee," Paul mumbled, looking away. "And that's final. You kids are gonna squeeze me dry someday… God…" He rubbed his temple. Natsumi bowed, showing her thanks, and sped off eagerly to make some coffee.

"Thanks Natsumi-chan, and Paul," Ginji said dully, moving towards the bar to sit. Shido followed suit. His eyes darted around the café, looking for Hevn. She, or her over-large bust, was nowhere to be seen. Shido sighed and waited for Natsumi to return so he could order something himself. He tapped his fingers against the counter.

"Hey Ginji…," Shido stopped tapping. His attention shifted to Ban and Himiko. They were so absorbed in their conversation that they still hadn't noticed them. "So they're seriously going out?" Shido looked at Ginji quickly. Ginji nodded. "Really? You sure you didn't just jump to conclusions? They fight all the time and…" He looked back at the budding couple.

"Yes, Shido," Ginji said sternly. "They are dating. Trust me on this one." He groaned and watched Paul work. Shido looked at Ban and Himiko again, as if their relationship was the most fascinating thing the world had to offer. Blinking, he watched Himiko blush as Ban leaned towards her. Ban whispered something in her ear and she froze instantly.

"Whoa…," Shido whispered. He whistled and patted Ginji's head and smiled hopefully. Ginji put on a fake smile to satisfy Shido. "It ain't that bad. Don't give up. She'll dump him as soon as he tries to touch her boobs on the next date, I swear it. Then you can have Himiko, although I seriously don't know why you'd want her… But hey, we all have our likes and dislikes, right?"

Suddenly, Ban's ears twitched. He turned around swiftly and glared at Shido. Shido replied with a death glare of his own. Himiko blinked, oblivious to what was going on. Ban slid out of the booth and stomped his way to the counter, huffing. He looked like a bull that had just seen the red flag wave. Himiko scowled but did nothing to stop him. She looked out the window with red cheeks.

"Damn…" she mumbled. "He always wants to pick a fight. Jerk…"

"What did you say, Monkey Tamer?" Ban demanded sharply, eyes narrowed. He took his final step, now only a few centimeters away from Shido's face. Shido appeared unfazed. He gazed at his fingers and rolled his eyes. "Answer me, bastard!" Ban slammed his fist against the counter.

"I said you're so damn ugly so you have to steals girls and play with 'em really quick before they run away," Shido said indifferently. "Although I didn't think you'd stoop that low, man." Himiko was oblivious to the fact that Shido was considering her "stolen". Ginji knew there was a fight coming on so he stepped out of the way. He knew that it could get ugly fast. Ban growled, closing his eyes. "What? You have to take girls out from under your friends now?" Ban seethed. Although he didn't know which friend he "stole" Himiko from, he was still mad.

"You damn monkey!" Ban hollered, tackling Shido. The two began to roll around on the floor, throwing vicious threats at each other. Ginji and Paul could only watch as the two fought. Himiko turned away and went through her poisons, checking to see if they were all there.

"Hmm…," she thought aloud. "All here, but…" She returned her attention to the outside world. "Oh well."

"Just don't break anything…," Paul said, obviously uninterested. As Shido slammed Ban againstthe counter, a few glasses and plates fell to the ground, breaking instantly. Paul frowned and shook his head sadly. "Never mind… Why do I even bother?" He had a thoughtful look on his face as he counted with his fingers. He stopped mid-thought and gave up. Sighing, he went to fetch a broom.

"Um…Ban-chan?" Ginji asked quietly, stepping forward. He wanted to stop the fight so he could talk to Ban, or at least make Ban see him. The only reply he got was a muffled scream and a crash. "Ban-chan…you're making our tab get bigger. Come on…" Smash. Bam. Wince.

"At least I'm not so ugly that I have to date a blind girl!" Ban hollered as Shido attempted to strangle him.

"W-what?" Shido trembled with rage. "What did you say, Snake Bastard?" Ban sneered.

"You heard me," he taunted, showing his teeth arrogantly. He snickered. "Poor Madoka-chan… She doesn't know 'what' the hell she fell for… I bet if she ever saw you she'd run straight to the hills and never come back again. But, lucky for you, she's blind so she can't see how ugly you really are. She's your first girlfriend, right?" Shido lunged at Ban.

"You filthy bast-!"

"I got the coffee! Sorry for the wait, Gin-chan!"

Everyone turned towards the source of the voice. Standing in the center of the café, Natsumi held a cup of hot coffee. She smiled warmly and then noticed everyone was staring at her. Blinking, she looked down at the coffee as if there was something wrong with it.

"Umm…did I interrupt anything?" she asked cautiously. "Is there something on my face? Or…" Paul shook his head. Natsumi gazed at Shido and Ban and raised her brow suspiciously. "Then does anyone need help?"

"We'll settle this later," Shido told Ban. "And next time, your ass will be hitting the curb so hard it'll be numb!" Ban rolled his eyes.

"We'll see about that," he said, brushing himself off. "Monkey Tamer…" And with that, the two went to separate sides of the room. Shido sat at the bar near Paul, Natsumi and Ginji. Ban went back to Himiko, who had a look of panic on her face. As Natsumi handed the frozen-stiff Ginji a cup of coffee, Ban noticed his presence. Ginji nodded at Natsumi and thanked her politely. Then he sat down quietly.

"…Ginji…?" Ban breathed. Without a word, he stood up again and marched towards Ginji. "Yo, you came back, finally, although I don't know why you left in the first place…" Ginji looked in another direction. "How could I not have noticed you were here before…? Oh well. Hey, you know, right?" Ginji groaned.

"Know what exactly?" he asked dully, staring at the door intently. Ginji was well aware of what Ban meant; he just didn't want Ban to know. Ban put a smug look on his face and pointed to Himiko. Ginji banged his head against the counter, several times.

"Stop doing that, 'cause I have good news. How can you be sad? I scored myself a chick!" Ban declared proudly. "And she has a nice rack, too. Aren't I lucky?" He grinned. Ginji snapped himself together and nodded happily.

"Yup, you sure are, Ban-chan!" he said. Saying that and hearing those words out of Ban's mouth hurt Ginji in the worst way imaginable. He struggled to keep his smile on his face. "I knew you'd get Himiko sooner or later. You do like her, don't you?" He peered over at Himiko curiously, examining her. Luckily, she didn't notice.

"What's not to like?" Ban asked skeptically, laughing. "She has big boobs and she isn't fat. Plus, she has a nice face and ass. Hello? How can I not like that?" Ginji noted that Ban said nothing about the personality, but he knew it didn't matter. Ban already showed Ginji that he did want to "be" with Himiko, so what chance did he have? He didn't have all the stuff Himiko did, so how could he win? He was aware that his feelings would never be mutual since the very beginning, but he continued to hope. Why?

"You're right, Ban-chan," Ginji said. "You're completely right." This was killing him, literally. "Hey…she looks pissed over there. I think she wants to talk with you some more…" Hearing Ban go on and on about how wonderful Himiko was made him sick to his stomach. At this point, even if it meant making Ban hang out with Himiko some more, he was willing to do it. And as long as he didn't look at them, he was fine, or so he hoped he'd be.

"Yeah, you're right…," Ban said, looking back at her cross face. "Well, can't leave the hottie waiting and angry, now can I? See ya Ginji!" Ban grinned and walked over to the booth in a waythat made Ginji's stomach flutter. As soon as Shido saw Ban coming, he stomped in the other direction, towards Ginji. Ginji moaned and banged his head against the counter again.

"Is he purposely torturing me…?" Ginji whimpered pathetically. "Can't he just walk normally…?" Shido proceeded to sit down next to Ginji at the bar, again. He had heard a bit of what Ginji had said and was now confused.

"What are you talking about?" Shido questioned softly. Ginji waved his hand, indicating that it wasn't worth discussing.

"Nothing Shido," Ginji assured him. He took a sip of his coffee. Sadly, it failed to warm him up. Sulking became the best option right now. "Don't you want something before Hevn comes?" he added casually. He wanted Shido's to redirect Shido's attention now.

"Oh yeah…," Shido said, nodding. "Oi! Natsumi! Can I get some coffee, too?" Natsumi, who was cleaning dishes at the moment, looked up at Shido and nodded.

"Of course!" she said. "I'll be right on it!" She dried her hands with a towel and walked off to make some coffee. Within seconds, she came back with a cup of coffee and gave it to Shido.

"Thanks Natsumi," Shido said, handing her the correct amount of yen. The waitress grinned.

"You're welcome," she said. "Hope it warms you up some!" Then she went back to washing the dishes without protest, placing the coins beside her. Shido gratefully drank his coffee, awaiting Hevn's arrival.

Ginji, on the other hand, was in complete distress. He couldn't keep his eyes off of Ban and Himiko, who were being a bit too…intimate in public. Ginji was surprised that Paul hadn't mentioned anything. At least they weren't taking off their clothes…yet…

The thought of "that" caused Ginji to push his coffee away in disgust. He could imagine it, and sadly, it seemed they'd do it soon. The moans in the background clearly supported his suspicions. Ginji covered his ears, trying to block out the noises. Alas, they were still heard, loud and clear.

"You okay, Ginji?" Shido asked easily. "You look like you're upset…Still obsessed with Himiko?"

"I'm fine, Shido," Ginji lied. "Just...perfect…" He flashed Shido a smile in an attempt to ease Shido.

"Alright, if you say so…," Shido trailed off as the bell rang. Standing in the doorway was Hevn. She was wearing, as usual, a very skimpy-outfit that was sure to attract males. Her face was tinted as if she was frustrated over something, and her hair was drenched. "Hey Hevn, finally! I've been waiting here for you for quite some time." Ginji waved wearily but Hevn paid him no mind. Ginji didn't care, though.

"Ugh!" she growled. "Damn brats…Next time someone tries to soak my white T-shirt so they can see my chest, I'm gonna kill them. I had to change my outfit. And look what they did to my hair!" With a peeved expression, Hevn pointed to finger to her hair, which formed a puddle on the floor beneath her.

"Hey, how could they resist?" Shido said with a shrug. Hevn fumed and glared at Paul.

"You got a towel?" she demanded. Paul nodded and grabbed the towel next to the sink, handing it to Hevn. "Thank you…"

"Hello Hevn-san!" Natsumi said happily as she set the last dish on the counter. "I have a blow-dryer you could use, if you want… It's in the back. Want me to get it?" Hevn shook her head surly.

"I'm fine with a towel," she told her firmly, wringing the water out of her hair. Natsumi sweat-dropped. "Now, Shido, let's discuss the job I have for you. Let's sit over there." She indicated towards another booth, far from Ban and Himiko. Shido did what Hevn requested and scooted in on the other side of the booth.

"Talk," Shido ordered. Hevn rolled her eyes.

"Jeez," she mumbled. "I just got here. But of course, you don't care. Anyway, what I want you to do is…" Hevn's eyes moved towards Ban and Himiko. "Oh god…what are they doing?" She scrunched her nose.

"Haven't you heard?" Shido teased. "They're dating now. I never would've thought… It's weird, right?"

"Very…," Hevn agreed. "Ugh…Could they be a little bit quieter? Ah, never mind. Don't want to provoke them…On with the details: I want you to recover a glass ornament for the Kasept family. They'll be arriving soon with more information. I called them a minute ago to come here. Anyways, they'll tell you the rest."

"Okay," Shido said, leaning back to look at the ceiling. "Fine by me. I'm curious though, how much are they paying?" Hevn's eyes sparkled.

"Three million yen," Hevn said. "Ten percent will be given to you in advance. I'm taking 900,000 yen as handing fees, meaning you get two million, one hundred thousand yen."

"Good," Shido said. "I'll accept after I hear the conditions from them, though." Hevn nodded, understanding Shido completely.

Ginji was still sitting in the booth, trying to ignore the obvious activity going on behind him. Paul and Natsumi seemed not to notice what was going on. Could it be that Ginji was hearing and seeing things? No, it couldn't be…

"Oh, Gin-chan!" Hevn sang seductively. Ginji's eyes perked up. "I have a job for you and Ban, too. That is…when he isn't…busy. It pays well." Shido snorted.

"Ban will be happy to hear that," Ginji said. "We just ran out of cash today, too. Thanks Hevn." Hevn laughed and continued to chat with Shido. "I hope Ban doesn't bring Himiko along… He wouldn't do that, would he?"

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A/N: Well, hope you enjoyed it! Please review if you have the time. Thank you!


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